Elevated-drawbridge fire-escape



No. 6|9,439. Patented Feb. 14, 899. A. RIECKE.

ELEVATED URAWBBIDGE FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Dec. 4, 1897.)

4- Sheets$heet l.

(N0 Modem I anueucoz THE uonms PETERS co, PHDTO-UTHQ. wAsmm'rou. n. c.

No. 6|9,439. Patented Feb. 14, I899. i

A. RIECKE.

ELEVATED DRAWBRIDGE FIRE ESCAPE.

(Applicationflled Dec. 4. 1897.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets8heet 2.

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No. 6l9,439. Patented Feb. I4, 899. A. BIECKE.

ELEVATED DBAWBRIDGE FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Dec. 4, 1897.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

Fly 7 No. 6l9,439 Patented Feb. [4, I899.

A. RIECKE.

ELEVATED DRAWBRIDGE FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Dec. 4, 1597.) v (No Model.) 4 Sheets$haat 4.

45 ticn of the hose-reel and appliances.

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AUGUST RI ECKE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELEVATED 'QRAWBRIDG E FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,439, dated February 14, 1899. Application filed December 4,1897- Beriel No 660,796, (No model.)

5 invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevated-Drawbridge Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein. to the accompanyi'ng drzrwings. vj

known as towers, the object of this invention being to produce a tower which is telescopically arranged on a suitable truck.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to produce an extension which operates at right angles to the telescopic sections, that a bridge may be provided which will lead from the windows of the building to the tower.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for elevating the sections, holding them in any adjustment, and finally releasing them, that the parts may automatically return to their normal positions.

.Wii-h the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction, as well as the combination and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail referones will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalvicws, in

3 5 which Fignrel is a side viewof theapparatnscom plots. Fig. 2. isa perspective view of one of.

4o Fig. l is a detail viewiof the gear-controlling Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of pawls.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the platthe pawls.

form with all of the parts removed,illustrating' particularly the offsets for the accommoda- Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal sectional View of the fifth-wheel. Fig. 7 is a central section of the device for operating the main platform. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the parts of the turn-ta- Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the pulleys and cables. Fig. 10 is a View in perspective of the three- "The invention relates to.;imprtveimntsin fireescapes, and particularly to that class sided ladder. Fig. 11 is a detail View of the pawls and dog.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the body of a wagon, on which I provide the extensible tower, comprising a number of sections of equal height fitting one within another.- The lowermost section is formed stationary with the body 1, and consists of the four uprights f3,, cross-bean1s 4,. connecting the upper ends of saidwn-prights, braces 5, extending between the uprights on the sides to give strength to the structure, and parallel beams 6, running between the cross-beams 4 and the floor of the body 1. The intermediate sections are exactly similar to each other, being composed of uprights 10, cross.-.heams:11 braces 12, and parallel beams 18, resembling in every respect the parts corresponding thereto, which were described in connection with section 2; but these sections have in addition to those parts the cross-beams 14, extending between the bottoms of the uprights 10 and to which the floors 15 are nailed or otherwise secured. The side members of the last-named cross-beams are extended beyond the uprights 10, as indicated at 16, and bear lightly against said uprights 10 of the next outer section, acting as guides while the tower is being elevated, and after it has been elevated to its greatest height, as shown in Fig. 8, they abut the detent-rods of the next lower section, acting as stops to limit the upward movement of the frames and also serving as braces to give the tower rigidity.

The topmost section 1? differs from the others in that it has no braces 12; also, horizontal reds 18 are securedzbetween thenp- Y rightsjandto' these rods are hinged the side platformsl 9, which are pressed outwardly by means of the springs 20, coiled on the rods. When the tower is extended, these platforms open outwardly and rest. on the ledge 21, formed by the cross-beams of the next section therebelow. In connection with this tower I provide a bridge 21, composed of a main platform 22, which has gnideways 23, formed along the sides thereof, in which the bales trade 24 of the extensible platform 25 is adapted to be slidably fitted. Along the side of the extensible platform is provided a rackbar.26,'which meshes with the gearwheel 27, carried by the first-named platform. This to the direction in which said crank is turned.

In cities where there are great numbers of overhead wires it has been found that great inconvenience and annoyance result from the passage of the wires in front of the windows, as the platform will be prevented from reaching said windows without cutting the wires. This difficulty I overcome by hinging a stairway or small ladder 29 to the end of the extensible platform, whereby it will be noted that the tower may be elevated sufiiciently to be above or below the wires, when the stairs or ladder may be lowered or raised directly to the window, and the people may then easily pass to the tower and descend by means of ladders 38, which are secured on each section between the parallel beams 6.

Near one end of the main platform are offsets 30, in which hose-reels or other necessary tools may be kept, it having been found more convenient to lower the hose from above to the water-supply than to raise the hose from the ground to the top of the tower.

The main platform is pivoted to the top most section 17 by means of a suitable turntable, said turn-table consisting of a disk 31, rigidly secured to the platform, having an annular groove to allow the plate to drop a distance away from the bottom thereof. This disk is rotatably mounted between two square plates 33, which are rigidly secured to the top of said section, said plates having their centers cut away. Ahorizontal gearwheel 32 is provided on said section 17 beneath the plates, and meshing with this pinion is a pinion 33, mounted on the crankshaft 34, which is journaled in suitable bearings on the main platform, so that all that is required to turn the platform is the proper manipulation of the shaft 34, whereupon the gear-wheel 33, meshing with the pinion 32, will bring about the rotation of the platform.

It will be noted that the main platfo rln'at the rear extends beyond the topmost section 17 and the floor of the platform is cut away at this point. I provide athree-sided ladder 36, having the hooked ends 37 to engage the top rails of the guideways 23. This ladder is lowered through the extension above referred the top of the tower down the center through holes in the floors of the several sections.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the tower consists of suitable drums 42, journaled transversely beneath the wagon body in hangers 43 depending therefrom; A suitable train of intermeshin g gear-wheels 44 are journaled in said hangers, said wheels being shown 7 5 in duplicate on the opposite sides of the wagon for the purpose of bringingabout the rotation of the drums, and cranks 45 are provided for the operation of the gear-wheels. It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact arrangement of the gears shown nor to the numberof cranks employed, as this is a mere matter of mechanics controlled by the weight of the tower. Pulleys 46 are journaled on said rods 40 at the top and bottom of said sections, and suitable cables 48 are secured at their ends to the upper section. As shown in Fig. .0, they are then run over the pulleys at the top of the next section, then down beneath the pulleys at the bottom of the same section, up again over the pulleys at the top of the next section, and so on until the last or outer section is reached, when the cables are run over the pulleys at the top, then down through the floor of the wagon, and se- 5 cured to the drum. Thus it will be seen that by the rotation of the drum thecable will be drawn taut and the tower elevated.

In order that the sections may be held against accidental descent when being raised gage cam-faces 5O onthe sides of the pawls no and press them away from the teeth, when the tower will descend by reason of its own weight.

It will be obvious that such a tower as described is necessarily very heavy, and therefore calls for a wagon or truck of correspond- I r 5 ingly heavy proportions. Having usually found that the fifth-wheels now in general use are weak and insufiicient to support a structureof this character, I have provided a fifthlVhen x05 wheel whichmdoes. .awayn'iwihlhv i119 skipso t, produces an increased bearing-surfaceYyeF" at the same time is very simple and eflicient in use. This device consists of a circular plate 51, secured to the hounds 52 of the foreaxle, and a ring 53, secured to the body of the 12 5 a well-like inclosure, the platforms 19 forming the bottom of said lnclosure. This construction is very desirable, as ladies or nervous people will not be subject to the mental strain incident to a descent upon the outside of the tower, since they may descend through the inclosure just described and then enter the interior of the tower and descend by means of the ladders 38. The rods 40 run horizontally through the upright beams to hold said laddcrslirmlyin place. It is some times necessary for the firemen at the top to make rapid trips to the bottom, and for this purpose I provide a rope 41, which runs from wagon and held away. therefrom by the supports 54:. This ring bears on the plate 51 and surrounds a flange 55, formed on said plate, and a supplemental plate 56 is secured to said flange and confines the ring in a groove, the

sides of which are the supplemental plate and the plate 51.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the operation and advantages will be ap- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination sections of a telescopic ladder, doors hinged to the upper sections and adapted to swing out over the top of the next lower section, as said doors pass above the ends, as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with a tower of the character described, the upper section thereof having outwardly-opening doors forming platforms, a bridge rotatably secured to the tower, said bridge having a rearwardly-projecting extension, a three-sided ladderadapted to be lowered through said extension and form with the side of the tower an inclosure, one of the platforms forming the bottom thereof, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a tower of the character described, a number of sections slidably fitted one within the other, doors hinged to the topmost section, springs pressing said doors outwardly, 1

said doors being adapted to rest on the ledge of the next lower section, thereby forming platforms, a bridge rotatably secured to the topmost section, said bridge having a rearwardly-projecting extension, at three-sided ladder adapted to be lowered through said extension and form with the side of the tower an inclosure, one of the platforms forming the bottom thereof, as and for the purpose described.

4. In combination with the topmost section of an extensible tower, a bridge, a circular plate secured to the under side of the bridge, said plate having a flange formed around its periphery offset from the bottom of the bridge, and two squared plates having their centers cut away placed on both sides of said flange and secured to the topmost section of the tower, a gear-wheel rigidly secured to the topmost section beneath the circular plate and concentric therewith, a shaft journaled through said plate and a pinion thereon meshing with the gear-wheel, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST RIECKE.

Witnesses:

R. S. G. CALDWELL, PHILIP C. WALDNE 

